I love the way that Mike Myers looks at Mr. West after he says the remarks. Although some of the statements that he said are undeniably true, that was uncalled for, sure we all have a lot of frustration in seeing that the federal government took too long to get supplies down to NO, but we must be bipartisan in seeing that G.W has an incredible task on hand.

Mike Myers had the same look on his face as I've heard Whitehouse correspondents have when someone actually asks an incisive question. The same, "Did he just say..." appearance that children have when one kid's acting naughty.

Disagree with Kayne all we want, but the media cuts people off when they naughtily disagree with our national leader. There's no room for heartfelt responses, except from official sources with teams of spinmeisters behind them.

kanye west was right on! he called it just as he saw it. i think that was one of the greatest moments ever in the history of television.

The disparity between the nature of Myer's comments and those of West were remarkable and funny. For a moment, until I realized that West was riffing on his own, I was thinking that whoever wrote the scripts was certainly a versatile copy writer.

Kayne was off the "official" corporate feel-good message and 100% on-target. We live in a nation where the President doesn't give a flying toss about black people, where elected Republican officials discreetly use the "n" word amongst themselves behind closed doors, where the tax burden is being shifted from Paris Hilton and Jenna Bush to the very people whose homes were washed away in Biloxi and New Orleans.

One last thing: "ndawson" needs to get a clue and stop listening to the drug-addled, thrice-divorced Rush OxyLimbaugh.

Kayne West was right and I also noticed Myers look. Like a, "what are you doing?" type of look. I'm glad somebody finally said the truth. It's so sick how the media has been protraying people. Like white people don't steal things too? Give me a break. And it's scary to think that because you're trying to get more help and pressure them to do something and then you're afraid for your life. It's so disgusting and I hate it.

What does partisanship have to do with recognizing that Bush and his entire damn administration is corrupt and inept?

Why can't we be like Britain or other countries that can talk bad about their president or prime minister? During our city hall with G.W. evryone is kissing his arse! But I saw that in the British elections they were pointing out flaws about the prome minister and he answered the people's questions.. Too much cencorship in this country, out rights are being abuse.. This is a time about being humans, not ego centrical greedy mofo's!

Sorry if I sound bipartisan, but sometimes, we all have to be if we want this country to be a better place. Jon Stewart thinks the same way. I am a libertarian, and I do not listen to hypocrites like Rush Limbaugh. The only radio I listen to is Air America, in which i listen to my favorite radio-show host Al Franken. So, whoevever it was bashing me, for god knows what reason, should start putting his mind to the bigger picture. I don't think anyone who listens to such an asshole as Rush Limbaugh would go to the "I'm Swiss" tour, in which I went to. Maybe you should check out my website, before you go bashing something you have no clue about. And, one more thing. I don't think anyone who listens to Rush Limbaugh would have his homepage set to onegoodmove.com, and that is what I do.

George Bush DOESN'T care about black people...unless they're willing to sell out their own race in order to make his cabinet look "diverse".

Mike Myers is Canadian and he just made the "Oh Fuck, I'm in some political shit with the yankees" face.

Sure he was stunned by what the guy said. One man was reading the teleprompter, the other used a national audience to say something extremely powerful about where american society is right now.

I don;t know why ppl are making such a big deal about the looting. For crying out loud, the city is destroyed and thousands of ppl have no medecine or food. As far as I'm concerned, everything, especially survival gear, food, medicine is fair game for looting.

I saw the end of the clip on TV and Mike Myers looks less surprised on the bigger screen. It was more of an "okay, that was unexpected.." kind of look.

I think Kanye is close, but not correct. George Bush doesn't care about poor people, who in this case are mostly black.

Mayor Nagin's comment was assnine. Yeah, sure. The CIA. I guess he's a little punchy. I'll cut him slack, but the wing-nuts won't.

Cheers, Petruk

I have felt the same frustration that Knaye West has felt. Why would they shoot people looting a supermarket. Hello?? They have no food and water! Then I talk to people and they say, "Well they have to because it's Marshall Law" These people I talk to are a bunch of hypocrites.

That's "Martial" Law. Martial, adjective: of, relating to, or suggestive of war.

The contrast between Giuliani post-9/11 and Nagin post-Katrina is fascinating.

Also, just how many times does the CIA have to assassinate people who question US policies, before it becomes non-crazy to suggest that it might happen again?

<3

if they were just looting the "food" i dont think there would be that big of a problem, its when you see people climbing out of the "non" food stores is when you have a problem. Hmmm. bush hates black people.... tell that to the few million blacks in africa that are recieving financial aid for poverty relief. I think those people would say otherwise, Kanye, And to be fair, there were still some white/chinese/asian and hispanic people left in those crowds... still needing food and shelter. There were white people who died too, because of the slow response from FEMA. Its not about race here, its about incompetance, slow reaction time, and having the majority of troops in Iraq fighting a bugus war. Its no ones fault this hurricane caused so much damage, many people lost everything, some alot more than others. Many wish we lived in he Star Trek age, where we could just , mass teleport stuff (people and their things whereever we chose to put em.

I think that CIA comment was meant hyperbolically.

Good for Kayne. Say it brother.

Ray: I think that CIA comment was meant hyperbolically

Yeah Ray, it was clearly hyperbolic. Translated to "Pat Roberson got alot of attention, well, we need attention in New Orleans real bad." It's not like the guy sounded like he feared for his life.

Why was what Kanye West said "uncalled for"? Why did NBC censor it?

Has America become such a land of obedient slaves to the corportist empire that we're not even allowed to speak our minds any more?

What kind of cowardly sheep would castigate Kanye West for speaking what millions of African-Americans were feeling on Friday night? It certainly looked like George Bush and America didn't give a fuck about the poor black and white people in New Orleans--how else can you explain the utter lack of relief and support to these people for two fucking days?

Instead of holding our government and leaders accountable for their failure to protect and serve the people of New Orleans, we're just supposed to go to our deaths quietly like obedient little peasant trash that we are? That we should blame the poor for being poor, that we're not even capable of lifing one finger to come to their resuce in times of need? That we should give tax cuts to the greedy fat fucks in the suburbs and cut programs to help the poor?

You little fucking loudmouth cowards. You servile shitbirds. You obedient little slaves to the corporatist empire. Please do not speak your filth within eashot of me, you cowardly and anti-democratic children.

We need more voices like Kanye West. The fact the cowards at NBC censored his remarks for the West Coast broadcast shows that so many people in this country are so afraid to hear dissent that there hardly isn't any.

This disaster was proof of the "two Americas" of which John Edwards was speaking during his campaign.

While those from the lesser America fought for their lives in New Orleans, the other America, safe and dry, spent half the time whining about all the "looting" and "lawlessness."

I blame America for this disaster. I blame the ignorant, racist, greedy, and self-absorbed assholes in this country. We don't even ask our citizens to sacrifice for the better good of our country any more. We don't ask our young men to serve in the armed forces, we don't ask people to sacrifice by paying taxes to help improve and uplift all echelons of our society; fuck, we don't even ask our citizens to get off their fat asses and and lift a finger to help people in needs during a crisis like this.

More than anything else, I see the horribly inadequate response to this disaster as the culmination of 25 years of anti-government rhetoric by conservatives. As an undergraduate economics student 25 years ago I was bombarded with theories preaching the need to dismantle the government, slash taxes, and let private industry rule unabated. The private sector is not going to build levies that would have prevented this (The Netherlands relies on their government to keep them safe from this type of disaster). The private sector cannot address a catastrophe of this magnitude. The people of the affected area need our government. This isn’t charity, this is what we should expect from a humane government. A worse disaster is about to befall our entire healthcare industry. Will we sit back waiting as the private sector destroys us, or will we use our government to solve the problem?

Now, I am glad Kanye West spoke his mind...but I am quite disappointed that he would have done it at the time of when people are reaching out for help. I am even more greatly disappointed that people are pissed at the media fro cutting him off for speaking his mind.

Personally, they had a right too, and it wasn't a time for pundits to be pundits. If Kanye West wants to speak his mind, have him go on CNN to be interviewed or something.

However, I did want to see Tim McGraw's face when Kanye said that, haha...

Of Course they should have censored him. He DIDN'T read what the teleprompter told him to read.

Watching a black man make a fool of himself on TV seems to be big fun to you people. Sick and twisted.

Although Kanye's arguments are true and have some depth. There is a time and a place to make those remarks. The focus of this program is to try and get people to help out, not associate blame and hatred. This arguement should have been brought up at a different time. Please keep in mind the real immediate issue at hand isn't Bush (who I don't care for) but to offer help and assistance to those who are, starving,losing their jobs, losing their lives, and all their belongings. Also, as far as the looting, Get Real. It is looting when people are stealing guns and such. I can understand food and drinks, and even other valuables (Don't agree with), but to be stealing weapons is looting. The media hasn't designated white or black.

i was utterly amazed when i saw this clip. that it went out live to the east coast, so cool. and sorry, even though what he said was true, i laughed my ass off at austins reaction. mr tuckers too. lololol i bet kane west sells a lot more cds as a result as well. more power to him.

Kanye West's comments were just another example of a person trying to use this tragedy to further their own agenda. The inaction in the region has nothing to do with the fact that the people are black - look at neighboring Mississippi, where the hurricane actually hit harder. They're receiving even less aid and attention than New Orleans. In both places a substantial amount of the population, including the poor population, is white.

Most interesting is the number of white and black people coming out of this who have said that the experience has changed their perception of the other race forever. Lots of black people have come right out and said that they hated white people before - mostly because ethnicities tend not to voluntarily mix - but when those white people helped them, gave them food, and tried to get them places to sleep they started to rethink their position.

Kanye's views were just asinine, and of course he has the right to say them, but NBC also has the right to pan off the guy. You can't justify the looting (and there is a separation of looting from looking for food, looting is carrying a television). You can't pretend that the police don't have to shoot some of the people committing crimes - today a bunch of black youth started firing on a team of contractors crossing a bridge to survey the damage. So the police shot back and killed them. There is lawlessness in the city, and it's a city with a history of black gang violence.

As usual the truth is somewhere in between. Bush doesn't care about Southerners, particularly poor ones whose support he doesn't need. Some black people are committing crimes and shooting at cops, and some of them have been shot for looting and attacking authorities.

In any case what does Kanye West know about it. He's fucking rich. He lives in a nice house in Los Angeles. 'My people' my ass.

If you are satisfied with seeing the president make perfuntorial appearances after disasters, stay with the script--as did Meyers.

If you are dissatisfied with the role of commander in chief, leave the script and speak your mind--as did Kanye West.

Why do people have to be on the same page? Kanye seems a rebel in his music and there is nothing worse than that staged sappy news feed disaster after disaster.

Bush has this "what do you want me to do" attitude. How bout sending some Army Corp of Engineers from Iraq back to the States to shore up levvies in the days When Hurricane Katrina was said to be heading to NO and going from Category 3 to 5. The Mayor wisely evacuated the City of NO. I saw those lines of cars leaving NO days before Katrina hit.

How bout listening to Scientists/Engineers instead of Preachers and the do-nothing, lip-service science advisor in the White House. Good job, Kayne!

To have so much debate over Kayne West's impromtue, self-evident truths, simply shows how little REAL television the Fox network churns out. As usual, Fox's anchorman was trying desperately to put some positive spin on the situation,even while the reporters in the field told him the convention centre doors were locked and troops were turning people around on the bridge, esentially sending them back to devestation and no resources (according to the Mayor). Renardo gets my vote..it's been 6 days, just let the people go! Maybe the troops on the bridge just got from Iraq.

Nice one, Kanye.

As much as he is generally conscious and forthright in his lyrics, he was the last person I was expecting to do a 'Crossfire' on live TV. He went on there, spoke his mind, rightly or wrongly, and to hell with the consequences. Time will judge whether his outburst was on the money, or if he was merely throwing an ill-judged strop.

He simply said what millions of people across the country think. His being middle-class, famous and stupidly rich does not exclude him from having his opinion - after all, whoever listened to the poor?

"The focus of this program is to try and get people to help out, not associate blame and hatred."

This reminds me of a few years ago here when a member of the school board tried to get people to vote for the school levy by claiming those who opposed the levy were racist. Yeah, maybe some people didn't want the new school built on the "black" side of town, but I don't see how painting the majority population of the city as a bunch of racist bastards is going to get the tax levy passed. Horrible timing, IMHO. (BTW the new school levy did fail, but mainly because the school board's misleading propaganda was exposed in the local paper two days before the election, not because we're all a bunch of flaming racists.)

The venue was not appropriate, but I give credit to Kane for speaking his mind. He was obviously nervous and scared, but thought it important enough to get out to as many people as possible.

There is an error in his statements, though. The President, the government, the media - does not hate black people. They all hate poor people. Don't make the mistake of splitting this along the lines the political machine would want you to and that would make good ratings for television. Poverty is the new blackness, my friends and we're all in the boat and those who aren't will be climbing in shortly due to gas prices.

Don't seperate us Kane, solidify us for change. Bring us together to help overthrow this tyranny. Bush's whole presidency has followed a "look at the monkey" approach. Look, the twin towers are falling - just in time for me to plot to get the guy who beat my daddy. Look, we're bombing Afghanistan - and opening ANWR for drilling and destruction to make my friends money. Look, war in Iraq - is the perfect opportunity to get some buddies some business and take in a kickback or two. Look at New Orleans - while I slide some justices into the Supreme court and throw those scales so far off balance, it'll be 50 years before they get close to straight again.

Don't let him talk you into cheapening this with the race card. HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE for all the people whose lives rightfully belong on his conscience. The failure was not in the lack of preparedness. The failure was in sitting idly by for a week when food and water could have been transported from less than 2 hours' drive away to avoid slaughter by neglect.

i am not familiar with kayne (okay) maybe i'm too old . . . however, boy did he make me smile and laugh-- he's 100% correct and right on!!! no one has the gonads to admit it or say it themselves-- to often what us white folks do is shake our heads, wring our hands and state "isn't it a pity?" it's all bull and it's time to face it-- until we can admit how racist and selfish we really are, we will never be able to change the disparity between the races-- if my family was in new orleans you can bet your bottom i would be jumping up and down and expecting people to act immediately not days--

Mike Myers has the Face on that dr. evil has when goldmember asks if he can paint austins fasha dick lol. Kayne also states that we need to do everything as slow as possible wtf?

HA

http://www.kanyewestforpresident.com/

I WISH IT WERE TRUE.

:)

I just watched the video for the first time. Our priorities are fucked up, not just the president's! It's quite sad.

This broadcast was aired to raise awareness and support for the Katrina relief effort, correct? Then why in hell are we using this program as a political and racial machine? Wrong place, wrong time. We're one fucking country, there is no "my people". We're not African-Americans or British-Americans...we are FUCKING Americans! The people of Louisiana and Mississippi need our help, not our opinions. I am so tired of "supposed" minorities complaining. It's the poor that need our help the most.

Unfortunately, prejudice in this country is at a whole new level, it no longer has a color. Everyone hates everyone equally.

We need to realize one thing, by the year 2010 we will ALL be speaking Spanish like it or not! Buckle down fellow Americans (black and white), we will both be the minority soon and the only thing we can do is go out and learn the Spanish language...if you don't already.

Some people had strong points in their posts above, others were biased and based their comments purely off of emotion. And then there was 'mat'...obviously a little bit of a political fucking whack-o. People like him scare me.

Take care and donate that extra cash or coin whenever you see a Hurricane Katrina collection bucket.

Adios, Miguel

i think that kanye had a right to say what he had to say because he is speaking the truth about bush not careing.

I think kanye west is right about Bush and they shouldn't of cut him off. They should of let everybody hear what else he had to say because it wouldnt of took as long if it was mostly white people.

i'm not sure we need to delineate between Bush hating black people or poor people, because he clearly wouldn't want to have to choose between them. And he loves them all when they are in uniform. Our own little monkeyman prime minister here in australia doesn't like to pick favourites among the poor, aboriginal, muslim, or refugee communities - so he ignores, insults and patronises them all equally. If Kanye's comments solidified some black opinion, all power to him, and its up to everyone else to dissolve racial barriers and recognise the systemic abuse of minorities and the poor.

Kanye certainly won my respect (and Myers won my sympathy, go home boy), and as far as those 'wrong time wrong place'ideas go, its always the right time and place for deeply felt moral conviction and compassionate anger. especially when its dedicated to waking an audience out of their stupor in order to contribute. if nothing else, it reminds the rest of us out here that America is no pro-bush monolith, and that behind the magic mirror are real people with the courage of their convictions. and yes, kanye is filthy rich, but i'd say that central to his justification for his opinion was that he recognised his hypocrisy and intended to donate as generously as he could. not the most eloquent, but he looked shit scared, and so would i have been.